Archive for the 'City Life' Category

4th of July in the Angeles National Forest

Published on July 3, 2008 in Angeles National Forest and City Life. 0 Comments

nullIt’s a holiday weekend, which means thousands of people who rarely or never set foot within National Forest lands are about to descend upon picnic areas like nature-loving locusts.

The ANF Rangers issued a statement today announcing some special road closures and restrictions:

- Glendora Mountain Road and Glendora Ridge Road are closed to vehicle traffic through Monday, July 7th. Bikes and hiking boots are allowed on the thoroughfare, however.
- Gates at Chantry Flats and Chaney Trail will be open only from 5AM to 6PM through Sunday.
- Turnouts along the Angeles Crest Highway above La Canada Flintridge will be closed on July 4th only.

In addition, ALL fireworks are prohibited on National Forest land — including lame ones like sparklers or those little black snake things. So don’t even think about having your own private pyrotechnic party in the woods this weekend.

Be sure to check the Angeles National Forest’s web site for further information on fire and road restrictions. And if you’re trying to find a camp site up there this weekend … good luck.

Stay safe, have fun … and don’t forget what this holiday is all about.

In The Times

Published on June 30, 2008 in City Life, Gadgets and Gear, hiking and in the media. 1 Comment

nullOver the weekend, I was quoted as part of an L.A. Times story on cellphone reception in the wilderness areas around the Los Angeles Metro area.

Friend of the site and local hiker Alana Semuels lays out the differences between carriers in the area. Short story: T-Mobile? Sucks. AT&T? Not bad, in spots. Maybe that 3G GPS-enabled iPhone is worth it after all.

I tried to do my duty as a Responsible Hiker to offer some sound safety advice, as well as take digs at Runyon Canyon Blackberry Hikers. Guess which made it into the Pulitzer prize-winning paper’s story.

Anyone out there have some love ‘em or leave ‘em stories about cell phones in the wild? I used to keep mine on during a hike to use as a watch, even when I lost reception. But after getting a few “urgent” messages from friends and family without being able to call back for 5 or 6 hours, I started stowing it in the OFF position and have never turned back.

Image by Jasoneppink

Urban Hiking … Again

Published on June 25, 2008 in City Life. 0 Comments

Last March, I dismissed an idea from some colleagues to do “urban hiking” — a trek through the streets of Los Angeles with my CamelBak, GPS, and camera, treated like a regular hike write-up. I thought it’d be boring and unfulfilling — and was worried someone would try to gank my GPS.

Now, it seems like someone’s taken me up on that. Kind of.

The business manager for stalwart uberblog Boing Boing has started “urban hiking” in San Francisco as a way to get exercise and networking opportunities.

Eww.

Well, I guess I’d be reluctant to call it hiking — strolling, maybe — but these tours are definitely good ways to learn more about your city and keep in touch with friends and colleagues. Whenever I try to get a professional colleague on a hike, I scare them off with large-sounding distances and early starting times on the weekends.

Maybe I should look into this networking thing. Or I’ll just check Walking in L.A. every once in a while and keep going into the mountains on the weekends.

Changing Commutes

Published on June 17, 2008 in City Life and Environmentalism. 1 Comment

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I’ve long-been a believer in economics being the best motivator for mass environmentalism. I bought CFL bulbs for my apartment a long time ago to reduce my energy consumption, but most people I know bought them because they tear up big electric bills.

I’ve only been biking here in L.A. for a few months, but over that short period, I have definitely noticed a very large increase in the amount of bikes I see on the road. The LAist recently posted a picture of the jam-packed bike rack outside my office (where, incidentally, it was stolen) — and there were definitely less than half those bikes when I first started locking up there.

Of course, all of these changes pale in comparison to George Calvarescu, who ditched his auto-based commute from the Valley to Long Beach for a river-based route. He says he does get pretty dirty by the end of his commute, but his company has a shower — and he’s lost 100 pounds since he started paddling to the office.

Can’t argue with that. And it’s nice to see someone using the L.A. River for something other than a garbage bin or action scene backdrop.

Not sure about the early parts of his route, though. I know I’d need a lot of head bandages after going under that first bridge:

via End Pavement

Photo by Shoreline

Anza-Borrego Powerlines … Again

Published on June 16, 2008 in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, City Life and Environmentalism. 1 Comment

nullSometimes, it ain’t easy being green. Like when you have to fight the construction of a new solar plant to prevent environmental damage.

As public demand and acceptance of alternative energy sources continues to rise, so does the opposition when it’s about to move from the planning table to actual real-life implementation. We saw this in 2006, when a vocal minority of Cape Cod residents (including the Liberal Lion, Sen. Ted Kennedy himself) objected to the Cape Wind Project — which aimed (and is still aiming) to be America’s first offshore wind farm.

Now, it’s hitting California’s largest state park — Anza-Borrego. Or, more accurately, I should say “still hitting.”

Also in 2006, San Diego Gas & Electric proposed building high-voltage power lines through 75 miles of the Desert State Park, to transmit electricity from a large, new solar plant. Predictably, residents of the area were upset about the plan, and set about fighting it. But instead of the aesthetic NIMBYism of the Kennedys, et. al., the folks fighting this project are definitely in the right. The showdown continues to make news.

First, SDG&E said this Sunrise Powerlink project would save San Diego County billions of dollars. First, it was $400 million a year. Then that figure got cut down to $140 million a year. Now it’s pretty much negligible.

Now the company is instead relying on a “disinformation campaign,” effectively presenting the choice as clean power vs. dirty power — assuming, of course, that clean power pumped to cities by tearing up wilderness is cleaner than locally installed rooftop solar panels like they’re building here in the L.A. area.

The State’s Public Utilities Commission will ultimately decide whether or not they can run lines through the park, and so far people have been doing a great job of letting them know how they feel. Hopefully, they’ll take a cue from the California Coastal Commission, which voted down the San Onofre State Park Toll Road earlier this year.

Until then, stay up to date at fine local sites like DesertBlog and UCAN.

Image by Stepleader.

To The Jerk Who Stole My Bike

Published on June 10, 2008 in City Life. 2 Comments

Goodbye, Bike

You suck. I hate you. I hope someone hits you with an SUV.

Nothing lethal — I mean, I’m not a d-bag who steals bikes or anything, but if a few of your bones get broken, I ain’t gonna lose any sleep over it.

Jerk.

Cleansing Greens

Published on May 27, 2008 in City Life. 0 Comments

nullIn today’s toxic environment, everything will kill you. Or so the popular thinking and local news segments go. Lucky for us, all we have to do to combat this lethal existence is hang a few spider plants around the home office.

A design spread in the aptly named Good Magazine shows off which plants will allegedly help filter out chemicals from household sources, thereby making your life a little nicer.

And yes, the hard science on this sort of stuff is a bit on the iffy side, but having some green around the house is almost guaranteed to make you feel a bit better — even if it’s just psychosomatic. I’m looking to do a little revamp of Modern Hiker’s home-base, and will probably incorporate a few of these suggestions into the mix. If I think they’re working, they’re working.

Right?

Via Boing Boing.

Image by SunToad.

Morning Rage

Published on May 16, 2008 in Environmentalism, National Parks and Monuments and Politics. 0 Comments

I haven’t had my morning cup of joe yet, but I read this article on MSNBC and it did all the blood-boiling I need to get going on the rest of the day.

The Bush Administration, which loves the U.S. Park Service so much that it made one lame web video about it and pretended to be some horrible bizarro version of Teddy Roosevelt is at it again — this time, they want to show their love of nature by allowing more pollution in our National Parks.

The EPA wants to change the way pollution is measured around the parks, abandoning the same method that’s been used for three decades, and instead adopt an “annual average” method that would basically make it so that pollution spikes from increased power demand and other phenomena would never show up in the data. Mark Wenzler, of the National Parks Conservation Association, sums it up: “It’s like if you’re pulled over by a cop for going 75 miles per hour in a 55 miles-per-hour zone, and you say, ‘If you look at how I’ve driven all year, I’ve averaged 55 miles per hour. It allows you to vastly underestimate the impact of these emissions.”

The NPCA says this new rule change would allow 33 new coal plants to be built within 186 miles of 10 National Parks. This, at a time when Western Parks are experiencing their highest smog levels in ten years and it’s often unhealthy to breathe the air at Smoky Mountains National Park.

… At least now I know what to suggest for the President’s National Park Service Centennial Initiative — more interpretive plaques, like this one at Joshua Tree:

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for good measure, read more on Bush’s abysmal environmental record.

Parks Safe For Now

Published on May 14, 2008 in Politics and State and Local Parks. 1 Comment

In a highly expected and not-at-all surprising announcement this week, Governor Schwarzenegger said he would NOT close 48 State Parks, shortfund schools, or release thousands of inmates from prison to balance the state’s budget.

Instead, he’s planning on borrowing money from investors that he hopes to pay back with future revenues from California’s lottery, which sounds like something you’d read in an email from the member of some royal Nigerian family.

Expect fees in some of the more popular parks to rise — but hey, at least you can still use them, right?

Via Two-Heel Drive.

Sierra Madre Wildfire

Published on April 28, 2008 in Angeles National Forest, City Life and fires. 0 Comments

nullUnder the weekend heatwave, I was enjoying my first post-surgery hike just off the Pacific Coast Highway. Further east, however, a wedding at Sturtevant Camp was interrupted when a wildfire started tearing up the mountains just north of Sierra Madre.

The fire began just off Santa Anita Canyon Road and spread northwest toward Mount Harvard, burning over 400 acres (as of Monday morning) and causing Sierra Madre officials to evacuate a large chunk of their city.

Nothing has been posted to the Angeles National Forest web site yet (that site is sloooow to change), but I think it’s safe to assume the Santa Anita Canyon should be off your list of hiking destinations for at least a week or two.

Via the LA Times.

Image by gtiboogieman